Kanayama Strop Care

[Jnatcat]

Good Evening Gents,

Have had my 70K Kanayama for awhile now and I only rub it with my palm before use but i see where some say to occasionally use a warm damp cloth to clean it with using a cotton cloth.

I even went to Takeshi's site and read this, and reading it i am not sure how long to run the damp cotton cloth back and fourth, i am gathering it's supposed to soak the leather completely ?

Don't want to ruin one of my favorite strops

*************Cleaning and maintenance Kanoyama Cordovan Razor Strop:What we should do is to use clean cotton towel soaking in lukewarm water, and it should be not too much wet, but not too dry the towel. And then, we wipe the strop the front side of the strop until little before the lukewarm water going through all the way to the back side, and then it makes dry naturally. That is the way what we make the strop making shinny and smoother. According to Mr. Naomi, we should not apply on any oil on Cordovan strop. The oil collects dust, and it makes losing smoothness on the Cordovan strop, and it makes not as the finishing quality strop anymore. ****************

 

[alpster]

If you think it needs cleaning, here's what I do. I take a clean terry cloth and put a little saddle soap (buy this at any shoe store or dept. store) on the cloth by rubbing the cloth on the soap, like car wax. then dip what I rubbed in water and wring it out well. I rub my strop vigorously until the color is even across the strop (don't saturate the leather). Afterward, I take a dry cloth and rub it on some mink oil (in a similar can purchased with the saddle soap). Using very little mink oil, I rub the strop with the cloth until it is like new. Using a dry cloth, buff the strop. I have an unused Kanayama that I compare to my freshly cleaned strop and you can't tell them apart. Draw is still slick and smooth.

 

[Jnatcat]

If you think it needs cleaning, here's what I do. I take a clean terry cloth and put a little saddle soap (buy this at any shoe store or dept. store) on the cloth by rubbing the cloth on the soap, like car wax. then dip what I rubbed in water and wring it out well. I rub my strop vigorously until the color is even across the strop (don't saturate the leather). Afterward, I take a dry cloth and rub it on some mink oil (in a similar can purchased with the saddle soap). Using very little mink oil, I rub the strop with the cloth until it is like new. Using a dry cloth, buff the strop. I have an unused Kanayama that I compare to my freshly cleaned strop and you can't tell them apart. Draw is still slick and smooth.

I did not think you were supposed to put any waxes or conditioners on the Kanayama ?

 

[alpster]

I did not think you were supposed to put any waxes or conditioners on the Kanayama ?

No waxes or conditioners, The process I described just cleans without stripping anything out of the leather. My mention of car wax was to help understand how to apply saddlesoap. DO NOT use car wax. LOL With both the saddlesoap and the mink oil we are talking about a total volume of a drop of water.

 

[Jnatcat]

No waxes or conditioners, The process I described just cleans without stripping anything out of the leather. My mention of car wax was to help understand how to apply saddlesoap. DO NOT use car wax. LOL With both the saddlesoap and the mink oil we are talking about a total volume of a drop of water.

Oh that is very, very little.... I have both and will try that, thanks !!!

 

[Royce]

"K. I. S. S.", right? The same wiseman told me the same once. Just use a damp cloth, could even be a microfiber cloth if you have one . Just run along the strop. Scrub it if it is soft and you will be good. Don't saturate with water, just moist enough to darken the hide just a bit. Let it air dry overnight and you are good to go. It will make it look brand new. Removes rub marks and light scratches too. More importantly, it will clean and put the mojo back in your K strop. Good luck!


~Royce

 

[Jnatcat]

"K. I. S. S.", right? The same wiseman told me the same once. Just use a damp cloth, could even be a microfiber cloth if you have one . Just run along the strop. Scrub it if it is soft and you will be good. Don't saturate with water, just moist enough to darken the hide just a bit. Let it air dry overnight and you are good to go. It will make it look brand new. Removes rub marks and light scratches too. More importantly, it will clean and put the mojo back in your K strop. Good luck!


~Royce

I just used a damp cotton cloth and its good to go, looks like it just came out of the bag, thanks for the advice Gents !!

 

[Royce]

[emoji106]


~Royce

 

[Steve56]

Royce got it right, that's what I do, a damp microfiber cloth and scrub away turning often, then let the strop air dry.

You can also samd it with 1000-2000 grit sandpaper, which is probably how the surface was originally polished. Sounds bad but it works fine if the damp microfiber cloth doesn't remove all the schmutz, just be sure it's dry first. I also have a soft jnat nagura I use only for polishing strops.

Cheers, Steve

 

[alpster]

....I also have a soft jnat nagura I use only for polishing strops...

I will have to give this a try.

 

[Jnatcat]

I also have a soft jnat nagura I use only for polishing strops.

Cheers, Steve

I just tried this on a Scruppleworks oil tanned that i kinda treat as my beater strop, the back linen is pasted with CrOx and the leather front has a few battle scars, anyway I took a Nakayama Asagi and rubbed it back and fourth 20-30 times with light pressure and it smoothed the leather right out all the little raised areas were gone,the strop then had a mat finish to it so i took some Bick 4 and put a few drops in my palm and rubbed it in pretty fast and the shine started to come back and now it as smooth as can be [MENTION=73183]Steve56[/MENTION] thanks for the tip

 

[Steve56]

Ya'll might want to dress the nagura each time, the leather tends to clog it up a little.

Cheers, Steve

 

[Jnatcat]

Ya'll might want to dress the nagura each time, the leather tends to clog it up a little.

Cheers, Steve

Well I actually just used a small JNAT but guessing its the same thing nagura's are usually made from base stones, i did lap it afterwards.

 

[sskim3]

Well I actually just used a small JNAT but guessing its the same thing nagura's are usually made from base stones, i did lap it afterwards.

Can you guys clarify what this means? I am scratching my head a little. Thanks!

 

[Jnatcat]

Can you guys clarify what this means? I am scratching my head a little. Thanks!

What Steve56 suggested was either take a tomo nagura, in may case I just used a smaller JNAT and lightly rub it over your strop leather (Lightly) I did about 20-30 passes and it smoothed out the little bumps and such then i put a few drops of Bick 4 in my palm and quickly rubbed it over the leather and it looks really good and very, very smooth. Just remember to lap your stone afterward as the leather particles clog the stone a little.

 

[David]

What Steve56 suggested was either take a tomo nagura, in may case I just used a smaller JNAT and lightly rub it over your strop leather (Lightly) I did about 20-30 passes and it smoothed out the little bumps and such then i put a few drops of Bick 4 in my palm and quickly rubbed it over the leather and it looks really good and very, very smooth. Just remember to lap your stone afterward as the leather particles clog the stone a little.

Did it change the draw?

 

[Jnatcat]

Did it change the draw?

Not that I could tell, maybe a tad smoother/faster but not enough to really make a difference, I would not do it all the time, I would put this process on the same as say burnishing leather

 

[sskim3]

Interesting... may have to look into it. Does it have to be a tomo or can it be anything smooth?

 

[Jnatcat]

Interesting... may have to look into it. Does it have to be a tomo or can it be anything smooth?

I used a regular JNAT, seems to have not had any ill effects on the Scrubbleworks strop I used it on and smoothed it out alot.

 

[Bobski]

My question for members, As a matter of storing brand new Kanayama strops. I have a #70000 for everyday use, and I have 3 others (#80,#70, #10) that I acquired as well. When they arrive new, they are in plastic, inside a long cardboard box, kept perfectly flat. Now that I have them here, what is the best way to safely store them, possibly for a year or more. (I have son's who are adult and I am trying to convert them to Str8ts). Are they OK just left in the box, or should they be hung? Do I need to remove the loose plastic sheath they come in? I have of course read Takeshi's instructs re cleaning etc, but I want to store the 3 strops, until they are given a new owner.